![Hitting the Balls’ Eye: Ball Impact Point In Padel](https://thepadelmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ball-850x560.jpg)
Hitting the Balls’ Eye: Ball Impact Point In Padel
Did you know that it actually makes a difference where you hit the ball in padel? The impact point is crucial and it’s a game changer alright. Stick around to learn the secrets no one has told you about that may just make you level up in padel!
Volleys, serves, and groundstrokes are the most often strokes that are seen on the court.
Highly trained and rookie players used different strokes. Novices are usually seen getting comfortable with services, groundstrokes, and lobs. While highly skilled players use more volley, wall strokes, and smashes.
Better players’ tactical dynamics may explain these differences due to their posture and mobility while approaching the net, increasing time spent and improving scoring opportunities.
According to recent research, the winning partners played much more smashes and volleys and significantly fewer groundstrokes, walls strokes, and lobs than the losers.
This is significant since overhead strokes like smashes and volleys suggest high glenohumeral joint rotation velocities, linked to a greater incidence of shoulder injuries in highly skilled padel players.
Padel conditioning programs should incorporate core stabilization, kinetic chain integration, and functional strengthening exercises to avoid injuries and improve performance.
Since the service is the most common between expert and new players alike, coaches should add serve and volley drills to your routine, given the serving pair’s significant edge in rallies.
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Now let’s get into business: Impact Point
According to studies, ball contact locations in padel are at an average of 0.80 m ahead of the player’s center of gravity. Ball impact location, on the other hand, differed significantly between highly skilled and inexperienced players.
Highly skilled players generally strike the ball in a higher backward position in serve and attacking strokes (from 11 to 25 cm back compared to amateurs) (volleys, trays, and smashes).
As a result, they used more forward strokes in defensive shots (from 7 to 32 cm forward compared to beginners) (groundstrokes, wall strokes, and lobs). The technical dominance of highly trained players in groundstrokes and wall strokes might be ascribed to their technological superiority in striking the ball rapidly after the bounce, which enabled them to raise the game’s speed and anticipate the opposition’s recovery actions.
A more rearward impact position, on the other hand, allowed more talented players to have a more extended impact point in foul shots (volleys, trays, and smashes), increasing the mechanical impulse during the shot’s acceleration.
Why is proper technique, and aim on ball contact point important?
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Given that lateral epicondylitis is the most common joint lesion in padel, and there’s evidence that this injury occurs most frequently in recreational players due to improper technique, it is essential to aim well. Hitting the ball at a backward point could result in injuries.
If you’re new to padel, work on biomechanics patterns like backhand and backhand volleys, trays, or wall strokes to accurately hit the ball.